The Unspoken Melancholy of Heaven and Earth
by DynnaChae
Summary: I've decided to touch on a few of the controversies of Sailormoon. There's alot of strange pairings, be prepared. Usagi and Haruka, along with the rest of the senshi get in troubles no deamon's wrath can compare to.. FINAL CHAPTER IS UP!
1. The Moon Was Meant for the Sky...

Their eyes were locked in complete concentration. Her blue eyes burning right through the blue-green eyes across from hers. She didn't want to stare, but she was frozen. She felt guilty, but she didn't really care in the moment. Her body was numb, as numb as it was going to get before she would drop dead from her own torment. She'd seen words crumble, people die, demons die, friends die. She'd seen life reborn, flowers bloom, fire cut through the night and pierce the evil... but she never thought she'd be afraid to face her own ally...  
  
Usagi cleared her throat and turned away from Haruka's piercing stare as a blush came to her face. She nibbled on her bottom lip the way she knew Haruka loved it, and then stopped to scold herself for teasing the poor girl. Haruka leaned over the table to stare harder at Usagi in almost a teasing manner. Usagi shut her eyes tight and tried to listen to the speech given. Her mind raced with a million thoughts. A million thoughts about Haruka. A million thoughts about the sensations.  
  
~.~.~.~.~  
Her soft, but strong hands trailed down the girl's chest.  
~.~.~.~.~  
  
She shook the thoughts from her head again and sideways glanced to see Haruka still staring, helplessly at her, almost whimpering. It wasn't until Michiru nudged the sky goddess in her side that she turned away from Usagi to listen to Setsuna's speech.  
  
"Usagi-chan... are you all right?" Setsuna tilted her head in a confused manner. The senshi met up back at Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna's house to talk about a few things that Setsuna had been thinking of.   
  
"Fine, fine. I'm fine. Just fine... why wouldn't I be fine? I'M FINE!" Usagi stumbled. "I need water."  
  
Michiru smiled softly, unaware of the trouble she was about to cause. "Haruka, be a dear and take Usagi to the kitchen for some water."  
  
Haruka said nothing but glanced at Usagi and held out her hand to show the frustrated princess where the kitchen was.   
  
She never switched on the light. It wasn't her intention to make light. She never made it to the refrigerator. It wasn't her intention to give the girl water. Haruka pulled Usagi into her arms and buried her face into the girl's hair.   
  
Usagi submitted, but then pressed her hand against Haruka's strong arm to stop her from progressing. "No, Ru. No." She started to lose this battle.  
  
"Usagi..." Haruka whimpered as if she were in pain. A pleading, wanting tone, one that could make Usagi melt. "I need you..."  
  
Usagi never felt more mature as when she was comforting Haruka's childish desires. At times, she became frustrated enough as to scold Haruka and punish her. She'd always catch herself, though. The two women embraced each other before Usagi pulled away completely. To keep the same thing from happening again, the moon princess stood on the other side of the kitchen table and sighed slowly. "The lights..."  
  
Haruka threw herself against the wall and flipped the switch. The blinding lights only made her feel more caged. Granted, Michiru was always there for the thrill, but her heart belonged to her princess. No, she loved Michiru till death did them part, but could one surpass even love? The power of love? All that love is and will be? Is there more? Haruka dared to find out as her selfish indulgence in Usagi only happened once, but she swore would happen again.   
  
Usagi placed her hands on the table and stared into Haruka's eyes. "It was an accident... what happened a few nights ago..."  
  
~.~.~.~.~  
Usagi pleaded for more between panting and writhing. Haruka's touch was something Mamoru could never compare to.  
~.~.~.~.~  
  
She closed her eyes and slowly opened them. "I belong to Mamoru, and you to Michiru."  
  
"And me to you, and you to me." Haruka looked pathetic leaning against the wall watching the object of her deep obsession dominate her.  
  
Usagi shook her head. "No, Ru, no. You and Michiru."  
  
"Michiru and Seiya..." Haruka turned her head away.  
  
"No..." Usagi gave her a sympathetic look. She forgot all about her guard and gently took Haruka into her arms. "It's not true."  
  
Haruka pushed Usagi away gently and fished through her baggy pockets for something she'd clung to since she found it under Michiru's pillow one night. Tossing a head-set microphone onto the kitchen table, Haruka glanced at Usagi and raised a brow.  
  
Usagi wanted to feel bad, but she couldn't as something dawned on her. "Was I your idea of revenge?"  
  
"Of course not, Koneko." Haruka reached out to brush Usagi's whispy hair through her fingers. As Usagi turned her head to glance at the ear-piece once more, her hair fell through Haruka's fingers. Haruka balled her fist and let it fall at her side.   
  
"I'm sorry about all of this." Usagi brushed Haruka's cheek with her thumb.   
  
Haruka took the girl's hand and held it in her own as she lowered herself to kiss Usagi as she did those nights ago. Michiru pushed the door to the kitchen open and caught them mid-kiss.  
  
Instead of panicking or pulling away in a conspicuous manner, Usagi laughed in Haruka's face and chirped "So Seiya's in my face like this and I..." Usagi gave Haruka the fastest sympathetic look she could before pressing her hand against Haruka's face and pushing it away with a substantial amount of force "pushed him away like that and told him to get a clue! I'm Mamo-chan's forever!"  
  
Haruka shook her head in a disgusted manner and faked a laugh. "He's so dumb, sometimes."  
  
Michiru handed Usagi a bottle of water and wrapped her arms around Haruka's tensed arm. "You come in here to get water and you two end up talking about Seiya? How one leads to the other baffles me, but Setsuna's waiting for the both of you to show a diagram."  
  
"We're coming." Usagi nodded to Michiru.   
  
Michiru turned to walk out of the kitchen with Usagi following behind her. While walking past Haruka, Usagi trailed her fingers across the taller girl's beltline and winked at her. Haruka didn't follow, but instead, turned the lights back off in the kitchen and sat on the floor. As is so happened, the kitchen had a built-in skylight that showed off the starlit sky. The crescent moon seemed so lost in the sky as Haruka glared at it, hoping to transfer her anger and frustration into another entity that wasn't her own. Sighing slowly, Haruka tucked the headset back into her pocket and joined the rest of the senshi.  
  
End of Chapter 1  
Authors Notes: Besides the fact that I hate Michiru, I just always wanted to frig around with an Usagi/Haruka fic. Hey, it could happen! I'll keep it realistic, or at least try. Expect cameos from Seiya and company. No lemon but I'll revolve around a Rated R kind of story. 


	2. And There It Shall Be...

Chapter 2  
  
Haruka wondered, sometimes, what it would be like if she weren't with Michiru. Would she feel voided? Or would she feel more fulfilled. For all that Michiru gave, she took. For all that she took, she seemed to give back. Haruka didn't know how to feel. It wasn't guilt that plagued her mind, it was confusion about the many situations that occurred in the short amount of time that they did.   
  
Now the blonde-haired girl sat, Indian-style, in Usagi's bed as the younger girl shifted through her closet for something to wear. The wind goddess smiled softly as Usagi's innocence and naiveté only made her more desirable. Usagi's purity was something she wanted to preserve, not corrupt.  
  
"I don't get it, Haruka... what exactly do I wear to one of these races?" Usagi held up a sundress and a white T-shirt.  
  
Haruka's face seemed more puzzled than Usagi's. Usually, Michiru would wear a sundress, but then men would gawk at her and make comments. Haruka spent hours fighting men that looked the wrong way at Michiru. "Wear the sundress." Hey, she never said it wasn't fun...  
  
Silently sitting in front of Haruka, Usagi pulled her hair out of her dress and handed Haruka the brush. "What does Michiru have to say about me joining you for this race?"  
  
Haruka tossed the brush aside and wrapped her arms around Usagi's shoulders. "She said 'Have fun' and walked away with a new paint set."  
  
Usagi looked considerate and then picked up the brush, "I always thought her to be the jealous type." She pressed it back in Haruka's hands and narrowed her eyes.  
  
"She said 'Have fun' and STORMED away with a new paint set." Haruka corrected herself and smiled softly.  
  
Usagi's eyes turned to the sky as she begged any god listening to keep Michiru from killing her one of these days.  
  
"And Mamoru?" Haruka ran the brush through the girl's hair idly.  
  
"He's none the wiser..." Usagi sounded sad.  
  
Haruka placed the brush down, gently. "I'm not making you do anything you don't want to do, am I?"  
  
Usagi spun around and locked eyes with Haruka. "Of course not, baka. I just... he just... you and I both know this is wrong, us being two mature young adults..."  
  
"In love." Haruka added.  
  
"Granted," Usagi began again "The future has already shown itself. You know who I become and who I stay with."  
  
"The future doesn't show what's behind the scenes, or they'd show Setsuna fucking your husband." Haruka raised a brow.  
  
Usagi's brow furrowed as she glared at Haruka and pushed her away playfully. "You're absolutely terrible, sometimes."  
  
Haruka caught the girl's hands. "I know. Let's go before I'm late."  
  
The two girls left the room, but not before indulging in a good-luck kiss.  
  
One wonders how this all came to be. Haruka and Usagi in unison.  
................  
A lavender-haired angel perched upon a cloud to recap the love of Usagi and Haruka in verse. The angel's eyes shone brilliant, as her fanged grin was meant to comfort and not intimidate.  
  
"A night so cloudy that one could not see the moon was a night for lustful sin to take birth."  
  
She relaxed her wings and gazed out into the night.  
  
"Birth it did take, once darkened souls did wander from home. Fair Usagi and Lady Haruka, both distressed, met where only two may be at once."  
.................  
  
Three nights ago...  
  
Haruka let the door slam behind her on purpose as Michiru remained in the same cross-legged position that Haruka had stormed out on her on. The two woman had a quiet argument about Haruka's hot temper whenever Seiya came over for tea. Michiru and Seiya agreed to collaborate on a song for a concert they were both featuring. At first, Haruka watched him like a hawk. Then her bitter resentment for Seiya welled up inside of her enough that she threw him out before he could wrap his arms around Michiru's waist once more to show her how to waltz. That wasn't what he was here for.  
  
Michiru refused to say more than two words an hour to Haruka. The women had no hostility between them, but they were accustomed to these being the worst kind of fights. Haruka told Michiru that she wanted to exercise for a while and Michiru didn't hesitate to point the door out to her.  
  
Usagi pulled her shoes back on and left Mamoru's apartment the same time she did every other night. He'd fallen asleep, leaving her frustrated and bored. She strolled down the darkened streets, hoping to clear her mind. She was sleepy. She's always sleepy. Usagi hummed to herself as she strolled down the street casually.  
  
Haruka cut a corner too short while running, and Usagi got thrown back by a tall runner.  
  
The two women toppled over and got up quickly to apologize.  
  
"I'm sorry! It's my fault!" Haruka scattered around to pick up Usagi's belongings when she came across a notebook with a picture of a bunny drawn on the cover. "Tsukino Usagi" etched in next to the bunny.  
  
Usagi muffled a giggle as Haruka slowly raised her blue-green eyes to look at the younger girl.   
  
"Koneko! Why are you out so late?" The taller girl handed the shorter girl her book.  
  
"I was on my way home from Mamo-chan's." Usagi took the book and tucked it under her arm. "He fell asleep. I think I bore him."  
  
"Perhaps, you do talk a lot." Haruka was no comfort.  
  
Usagi glared at Haruka "How can you say that! I'm very fun! I always have fun! I always know how to make people have fun, too!" Usagi stomped.  
  
Haruka laughed out loud as Usagi threw a tantrum in the street. "How so, Koneko? How do you have fun and make others have fun too?" She stepped closer to the girl.  
  
Usagi played with the tips of her hair and blushed, aware of Haruka's closeness. "Well I..." she twirled her hair around her fingers and looked totally blank. "I just do!" She tiptoed so that she didn't seem so short to Haruka.   
  
"Can I walk you home? It's late."  
  
"Sure." Usagi felt better with the company. She'd been feeling pent up since Mamoru was worrying about his school work more and paying less and less attention to her. The moon princess started to wonder if it were something she was doing wrong, but he assured her that all it was, was just studying to keep his grades up. She was feeling a little neglected, a little tired and VERY heated. Never factoring Haruka into a way to relieve herself, it came as an electric jolt to her mind to imagine herself being entangled with Haruka - though the idea didn't seem so bad. She could be a bad girl, too. After a bit of walking Usagi stopped and looked at Haruka with a bit of loneliness in her eyes. "I'm thirsty, can't we stop and get something to drink?"  
  
"Koneko... why stop now?" Haruka tried not to laugh.  
  
"What's so funny now?" Usagi put her hands on her hips with a bit of disgust. She was starting to not want to tempt Haruka tonight.  
  
"We're standing in front of your house. Why don't you just make tea?" Haruka pointed her hand straight out from her side and laughed.  
  
Usagi's face turned bright red. "Oh... OK. Why don't you come in and have some?" she offered.  
  
"Thanks. I need to cool off since I've been running for hours." The taller girl opened the gate for Usagi.  
  
The elegant racer wrapped her long, slender fingers around the cup of iced tea and watched as the ice cubes slowly melted in the glass. Dew trickled down and collected around her fingers as she sighed slowly, trying to toss aside her ill feelings towards Michiru, and worse, her growing desire to reach out and touch Usagi.  
  
Usagi sit, nibbling her bottom lip idly and trying to think of ways to get the temptation of touching Haruka off her mind. She'd come to the conclusion that it was a bad idea to lure Haruka into such a bad situation. Michiru was her mentor, she didn't want to hurt her.  
  
Haruka sighed slowly, allowing the collected dew to run down the glass and create a small puddle at the base of the cup. "This is fun, ne?" Haruka smiled slightly and drew her finger around in circles in the puddle of water.  
  
The young girl looked up from her tea and smiled softly. "Come upstairs and we'll listen to some music, or something."  
  
"Or something..." Haruka repeated.  
  
Haruka spread out across Usagi's bed and tried her best to read the magazine upside-down as Usagi would read and giggle every so often. She lost interest in the article and took to playing with the tips of Usagi's hair. It was entertaining until Usagi rest her hand over the girl's and pushed it down.   
  
"You know I didn't ask you here just for tea..." Usagi blushed.  
  
"Why so honest?" Haruka took curiosity in Usagi's expression.  
"Because I know I'm not going to go through with it. I love Mamoru and you love Michiru." Usagi detangled her hair from Haruka's fingers and threw it over her shoulder.  
  
"I see, well thank you for being honest, Koneko." Haruka spoke softly. "I should go for the night. I'm sure Michiru's tired of not having someone to not talk to." The blonde girl stood to leave.  
  
"But I want to go through with it..." was Usagi's only response.  
  
Haruka looked over her shoulder, but said nothing.  
  
"Because it's something I've wanted to go through with for a long time." She sat on the edge of the bed and unbuttoned her shirt. Slipping it off her shoulders, she inhaled then slowly exhaled.  
  
Haruka turned completely to take in Usagi's perfection. Slowly lowering herself into a sitting position, she leaned in to gently kiss Usagi's lips. She paused before she reached the girl's lips and let Usagi's staggering breath brush pass her own lips, heightening her senses. Haruka lowered the girl onto the bed as the only candle in the room flickered and blew out.  
  
End of Ch. 2  
Author's Notes: Observe the lavender verse angel. I threw her in there to kinda summarize things that will happen, but won't be fully developed. She speaks in a form of verse. Kinda like modern Shakespearean speech or some junk. She'll be introduced everytime she speaks so you know it's part of the story that needs to be considered. 


	3. Being Human is the Flaw

The nights seemed longer to Kaiou Michiru as Haruka's growing distance didn't come off as worrying, it was fatiguing. It wasn't that she didn't want to find out what made Haruka so distant, she just valued the time to herself to collect her thoughts. Tonight was not a night for solitary meditation, though. She sat across from a taller figure. Usually Haruka sat across from her and stared idly into her tea, but instead of Haruka, Seiya tapped his teaspoon on the rim of the glass and placed it down on a napkin. Michiru became absorbed in watching the napkin absorb the tea. She felt like the tea, trapped in a sense. What had her trapped was what was confusing her.   
  
"Are you all right, Michiru?" Seiya tilted his head slightly to peek under the shorter girl's bangs.   
  
"I'm fine, thank you. My mind's been straying. Forgive me if I seem rude." She picked her head up to smile softly at him.  
  
"I wonder why it's me that's sitting here and not Ten'ou..." Seiya sipped his tea slowly.  
  
"She claims she's busy." Michiru showed no emotion.  
  
They sat in silence, both anticipating each other's next words. Each hoping that the other wouldn't say what should be said, but they failed in guessing...  
  
"About the other night..." both said at the same time.  
  
Michiru looked away, and Seiya blushed softly.   
  
"Was it an accident, Seiya?" Michiru gripped the handle of her teacup as if to transfer her nervousness into the delicate glass cup.  
  
"I can't say that it was since we both wanted to do it..." He felt bad. Granted, he was no fan of Haruka, but he didn't intend to be spiteful and destroy the beautiful relationship that Michiru and her had. He was a human with human desires and indulging should be no crime. It's what he thought, or at least it's what gave him peace of mind.  
  
Michiru averted her gaze from Seiya and turned to stare out the window. Now she realized that maybe it wasn't just Haruka that was being distant, but Michiru who also felt that she needed space. Space seemed to hurt, though as she couldn't dream of pulling herself away from Haruka for an insane short-lived love affair that was guaranteed to go nowhere.  
  
They sat quietly for a few minutes, listening to the quiet chatter of others around them. At a loss for words, they both breathed softly, deep in thought of what to say next.  
  
"It was no accident..." Michiru's bangs were now covering her eyes again.   
  
"No accident..." Seiya repeated.  
  
"I can't help but want it to happen again, but it's wrong. It makes me less of a person to desire another's touch. But humans make mistakes, don't they?"  
  
"They..." Seiya began  
  
"No, don't answer that..." Michiru cut him off. "We're all humans, bound by limits and boundaries everywhere. We can't do this, we have to do that, laws, rules, rights and wrongs... all we ever do is live our life trying not to die. Then love comes along to make it all seem worth the struggle, but our laws and rules allow us to love only one person in this life at a time, and it all seems unfair." She felt the tears well up in her eyes. Soon they slowly gave way and they streamed down her cheeks as she continued. "But as humans, we're too weak to abide by these rules. Angels and sinners are one in the same. There is no perfect human, and there is no perfect life... so we have to make mistakes, because being perfect means defying all that is set out for us in life. Though not deliberately, we break rules to be more human." Michiru finally raised her tear-filled eyes to look at Seiya. "I suppose I long to be more human, as your sinful touch is all I desire right now. If it makes me less of a person to be a human, then humanity knows not of what it has allowed itself to be bound by."  
  
Seiya reached across the table to brush Michiru's cascading tears away. "I suppose it's cruel to be made a human, then. Since there's no way to renounce your humanity, I can only console you the best I can - the way you want me to..." He slid out from his side of the booth, dropping money onto the diner table. Seiya extended his hand for Michiru to take. She placed her hand in his as they walked out of the diner together.   
  
A dimly lit walkway, the warm air circulating and a soft breeze blowing through their hair managed to ease the tension. Michiru held onto Seiya's arm, searching for security and comfort in his touch. It was true that Seiya wasn't a 'he' at all. And when his clothes were gone, she'd be facing another woman, but a much stronger woman. One that can give her so much more security - just like Haruka did. Michiru realized that she loved Haruka more than anything in the world. No one could even begin to replace Haruka, but this was a lesson. Something she needed to teach herself. Be it foolish and/or risky, Michiru had to learn.  
  
When she broke her thoughts, she was standing at the door of the Kou's apartment suite. She'd been her many times to practice and to visit, but the apartment would serve another purpose. Seiya's bedroom door quietly closed behind them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"That's the problem with people, you know?"   
  
"Hmm?" Usagi clutched the bedsheets and rest her head on Haruka's chest.   
  
Haruka lay, longways on the bed with her head dangling off the end, she nibbled on the knuckle of her pointer finger and stared directly (upside-down, rather) at Usagi's decorated walls. "That's the problem with people... they're always trying so hard to be people that they fuck up and become lost cases. In the end, I wonder who the real monsters are... the demons we fight or the demons inside of us."  
  
"Well that's what we fight for. We fight to rid the demons. All of them." Usagi stared off sadly.  
  
"How do we do that? You can't wave a wand and destroy all the bad in people." The taller girl finally shifted positions, a bit dizzy from the blood rushing to her head.  
  
Usagi looked hurt, "You don't need a wand, Haruka. You spread hope and love and friendship. Give people the initiative to live by giving them a better world. Share your strength and beauty with life and life will become stronger and more beautiful." Sitting up, Usagi gazed down at Haruka who was watching her intensely. "All anyone ever needs is love..."  
  
Haruka smiled softly at Usagi. "Whenever I doubt your abilities to be our princess, you always give me a new reason to believe, more strongly, that you truly are her."  
  
The smaller girl laughed and shook her head "Well you should stop doubting me, I'm full of surprises."  
  
"I'd say!" Haruka grinned mischievously.  
  
Usagi leaned over, blowing out the candle that provided the only light in her room. The two fell asleep, entangled in each other's arms and legs. A slumber party like no other...  
  
End of Ch 3 


	4. Friends First

"Have you spoken with Usagi, recently?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"And what about you? Have you spoken to her?"  
  
"I haven't even seen her..." Mako frowned.  
  
Rei slouched back onto the pillow and pulled her legs from under herself. Re-adjusting herself into an Indian-style sitting position at her table, she sighed slowly and studied a whole baked pie sitting idly. "This isn't like her. She's usually at study sessions - especially if she knows someone's bringing food."  
  
Ami nibbled on the eraser of a pencil and gave Rei a sympathetic look. "I tried calling her before we came. Her mom said she went out, but she would give her the message when she returned home."  
  
"What in the world has been taking all of her time, recently?" Minako covered the pie. "I'm not even hungry anymore."  
  
"I propose an intervention..." Ami placed the pencil on the table, allowing it to roll off the table and onto the floor.  
  
Rei nodded in agreement. "Yes, we'll just go to her house and wait for her." The dark haired girl hesitated a bit. "Though, it almost seems like intruding."  
  
"We won't sneak around or anything. We'll wait for her to come home and then we'll speak to her." Minako reassured Rei.  
  
"Or beat it out of her..." Mako pounded her fist into her palm.  
  
The three girls looked up from their positions at Mako who looked a bit too determined to find out what was Usagi's deal for being flaky.   
  
"I'm sorry, I just got a bit carried away. I'm just worried. I'm almost angry with her for being so distant all of a sudden." Mako sighed.  
  
"Let's not worry until we speak with her. In a way, I feel we're all a bit angry with the way she's been acting. I don't want to pass judgment so quickly, though. Let's just know the truth first, ne?" Rei stood up and combed her hair a few times with her fingers. "Let's go now. It's getting late, she can't be out too much longer."  
  
The four girls walked along the busy Japanese streets of the Juuban District towards Tsukino Usagi's house. It had been a common trek for them. There would be days that they went to study by her. Usagi would be there, sprawled across her bed with assorted manga and J-Pop CD's that she just bought. Her mother would happily place a plate of cookies and milk on a stack of text books for the girls and excuse herself to prepare dinner. Luna sat at attention, ready to keep Usagi alert.  
  
Unfortunately, this trek to her house was a sadder, more melancholy one. In each of their deepest thoughts, they worried the worst for Usagi. They spoke to her days earlier, but not hearing a word for her in almost a day was unusual. In their deepest thoughts, they all felt they were doing the best by intervening in Usagi's private affairs and driving the girl back into a normal life.   
  
Of the three, Rei felt the worst. After chanting for a while, she changed her prayer of peace to one of chaos, hoping to drive Usagi out by calling Sailormoon forth to destroy another enemy. At least then they'd have proof that all was well and she was only having some melodramatic episode with Mamoru and his distance. It was a horrible thing to pray for. She spent the rest of the night praying for forgiveness.  
  
In another part of town, Haruka sped at lightning speeds down the highways of Japan's coastal area, trying to impress Usagi who's mind seemed anywhere but there. "Koneko? What's the matter?"  
  
Usagi pulled her head from it's resting spot upon her crossed arms, propped against Haruka's convertible's door and smiled softly. "I haven't seen my friends in a while... I just miss them."  
  
Haruka nodded solemnly. "How about I drop you off by Rei's and you can call the girls and meet up for a bit before you have to be home?"  
  
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like that." The young princess smiled brightly at Haruka.  
  
Entering through the torii of Rei's temple, Usagi felt a bit lighter. She hadn't seen the girls in days. She envisioned dashing into Rei's room and talking circles around the young priestess until she collapsed into a tired heap and Rei shoved a plate of cookies in her face and begged her to shut up for a minute. She'd neglected study lessons of her own choice, but now she wanted to make up for lost time in the little time she had. Unfortunately, when she reached Rei's room, there was no one there...  
  
Rei, Makoto, Minako and Ami took their selected seats on the couch in Usagi's living room, watching their watches and sighing. They'd been there almost two hours with no word from Usagi. The girls were almost furious with her now. She was damned inconsiderate to not even call and say she'd be late. With a sigh of defeat, Rei announced that she was going home and wherever Usagi may be, may she stay there forever.  
  
Usagi slowly opened her eyes to realize that the room she lay in wasn't her own. She'd fallen asleep waiting for Rei to return home. Two hours had passed with no word from Rei. The blue eyed girl felt like crying as tears well up in her eyes. She was worried and confused. Without announcing to anyone that she was leaving, Usagi slid back into her shoes and showed herself out of the temple. She walked along the darkened streets back to her home where her mother would be curious as to why she was out so late.   
  
Rei took a short path through an alleyway to get home faster. The well lit alley was a common short-cut for people that wanted to get to the temple quickly to deliver a quick prayer on the way to work, school, etc.... Usagi took the normal long route home, taking the time to think about her friends and how much she missed them. With a deep sigh, she push open the door of her house and announced that she was home.  
  
Rei threw herself on her bed and gaze up at her ceiling. She'd remember the times that Usagi slept over and they'd stare at the ceiling for hours talking about random little things that popped into their minds. In a way, it felt like Usagi had just been there, sprawled out on her bed just thinking about life like they used to do. After Usagi's random thoughts, the girls usually ended up hungry - as she always talked about food. They'd whip up something quick and spend the entire night talking about being a senshi. It was a release for the both of them. Rei realized that she was feeling congested, not having a way to vent was killing her inside. She reached for the phone, hoping Usagi would be home by then.  
  
Usagi gripped the receiver of the phone as she started dialing Rei's phone number. Both girls sat, staring at their phones for a few seconds before throwing down the receiver and turning away from the phone. The fear of not having the other answer the phone was just unbearable. Usagi never felt more alone.   
  
Taking another deep breath, Usagi picked up the phone again and dialed Mamoru's phone number this time. She realized that she hadn't talked to him in days either. The phone rang for a bit before there was an answer on his end. Soft music was playing in the background, but it was silent of any other people.   
  
"Hello?" Mamoru's deep voice came.  
  
"Mamo-chan! Oh... it's me... Usagi..." Usagi felt a blush come to her face. All she could visualize at that moment was Haruka wrapping her arms around the girl's waist.  
  
"Usa-ko? How are you?" Mamoru didn't seemed surprised to hear her.  
  
"I'm fine... I just wanted to see how you were." Usagi visualized Haruka letting the smaller girl's hair down and kissing along her neck.  
  
"I'm fine. Actually, I'm busy. Perhaps I can talk to you tomorrow? Will that be good?" Mamoru sounded way too anxious to get off the phone.  
  
"It's fine... goodnight." She threw the handle down quickly and threw her hands over her shoulders, pushing a body off of her. "You have zero patience, do you know that?"  
  
Haruka shrugged and looked innocent.  
  
"I didn't even see you come in." Usagi rubbed her neck to stop the tingling.  
  
"Your mom let me in because you left your books in my car. I came to drop them off." Haruka held out a few textbooks.  
  
"Those aren't mine, Haruka" Usagi gave her a skeptical look.  
  
Haruka tossed the books on the table. "Oh well..." the taller girl grinned.  
  
"You're mischievous, Haruka." A blush rushed pass Usagi's cheeks.  
  
"I know." Haruka leaned in to kiss Usagi.  
  
"Who was that?" A woman wrapped up in a blanket stood in Mamoru's bedroom door's frame.  
  
"Just Usagi." Mamoru stared at the phone.  
  
"Should I leave?" The woman's green hair cascaded down her back.  
  
"Why would you do that?" Mamoru dropped the bed blankets that were wrapped around his waist and smiled softly. "Setsuna, come to me."  
  
Pluto's senshi gracefully glided towards Mamoru and wrapped her arms around his waist. Resting her head on his chest, she stared out his window at the stars and slowly exhaled.   
  
It would be another night their Physics study session ended up hands-on. 


	5. Friends Forever

Makoto held her arm out at full length and pointed to a large section of the courtyard of Juuban School. "You look over there, Ami."  
  
Mina looked down at Artemis. "Perhaps you can climb a tree and take a look from there." The senshi of Venus instructed the cat.  
  
Artemis nodded and made his way up the tallest tree on the campus. Minako and Mako walked off in separate directions.   
  
Luna quietly walked alongside Ami. The girl had gone to inspect a crowd of girls. To someone on the outside, it would look like the girls were looking for something - or someone.  
  
Usagi sat on the bleachers by the field the school used for sports by herself. Sighing into the wind, she didn't turn to acknowledge the person standing beside her.  
  
"Is this where you've come to, to hide from your friends?" A voice came from the person standing next to her.  
  
"Does that make me a bad person?" Usagi still didn't raise her head.  
  
"You don't want my opinion of you, right now." Rei sat beside Usagi.  
  
"Your school let out early?" The blue-eyed girl finally acknowledged Rei's presence.  
  
Rei sighed and looked away. "I let myself out early."  
  
Lowering her head, Usagi hid her shame. "You shouldn't have skipped school for me."  
  
"It looks like it's too late. What's your deal? Why are you acting like this?" Rei started to lose her cool.  
  
"I can't say... I mean... I can... but I shouldn't. For the future..." The blonde girl felt her face grow hot as tears welled up in her large eyes.  
  
"The future? Baka-Usagi you have to live in the present! Why can't you just come right out and say what's the problem?!" Rei put her hands on the girl's shoulders to keep her attention.  
  
Usagi pushed Rei's hands off and pulled her school tie off, letting her shirt become loose around the neck. Usagi pulled her shirt apart, slightly, to show Rei the red marks along her chest. "This... THIS is why!" The girl closed her shirt and lowered her head again.  
  
Rei blinked a few times. "Uhhh so Mamoru left his mark.... a few times."  
"NOT Mamoru..." The girl allowed the wind to dry her eyes.  
  
"Usagi..." Rei's voice turned from ice to warm compassion and worry for her friend.  
  
"I cannot say." Usagi went to stand up. "I miss you, Rei. You and Ami and Mako and Mina, but I can't face you until I know in my heart that there could be some good from the situation I've put myself in. Let it be known, I don't regret it for a minute, as Mamoru chooses to keep his distance from me I am only but a human girl in this life. I can be Sailormoon, but at the end of the day, I have needs and wants and desires like you and like Ami and Mina-chan and Mako-chan. I need love." Usagi slid Rei's schoolbag towards the girl staring up at Usagi in shock.  
  
Rei sighed slowly. "I don't even know what to say, what to tell everyone else."  
  
"Tell them what you wish, Rei-chan." Usagi tied her tie. "I just... one day I'll explain it all, when it all starts to make sense to me."  
  
"One question..." Rei stood to face the girl once more. "How did you get past Luna?"  
  
Usagi smiled to herself as she stepped off the bleachers. Never looking back to Rei she spoke so that the dark-tressed girl could hear her. "You just gotta be fast enough... fast enough to not be caught..." She turned and left the school field.  
  
Rei sat back on the bleachers and frowned to herself. This was not Usagi. This was not the way she behaved. It was almost a deep, scandalous way of behaving. She remembered the bubblehead that Usagi was. She remembered the clutz that Usagi was. The way the girl used to cry over the most stupid little things. Now Usagi stood straighter and acted more dignified. Usagi became a woman right in front of Rei and she felt like she was too young to be in the princess' presence. She wouldn't give up on her best friend, though. Rei left the field and walked in the direction of her own school to try and slip back in.  
  
Michiru lay, sprawled across Seiya's bed. Seiya's sleeping form beside her. The sea nymph ran her fingers through the locks of Seiya's hair. The long ponytail, draped over her body as she watched Seiya sleep. In a way, Michiru felt it was right for her to be there, stroking the sleeping girl's hair and listening to her breathe. She saw Seiya in Haruka and Haruka in Seiya. Maybe that's why they didn't get along. It was humorous to Michiru and a smiled crept across her lips as she fell into her own sleep.  
  
Outside Seiya's apartment, Haruka stared up at his window curious as to what drew her there. She pressed her weight on one foot to keep her motorcycle from tipping over. Her helmet clenched in her hand, she stared up at his window, finding it hard to take her eyes away. She felt like a part of her world was in that room. A part of her world she was slowly letting go. She felt like she was growing up and the ways of her childhood were just fading memories in the wind that had brought her so much comfort. But from that wind, also came the song of a gifted violin player. The song would ride on the current of the wind and bring with it a sense of serenity and peace. Though the wind blew, there was no song, but there was still comfort as the song was replaced with the laugh of another gifted soul. The soul of one that brought peace and tranquillity in a much more difficult way than that of a violin player. Risking life and all safety, the owner of this laugh fought to save a world, a kingdom and a lover. She was Serenity, herself.  
  
Haruka slowly exhaled and pulled her Helmet over her head. Revving the engine of her motorbike, she sped off towards her empty home. A night as melancholy as this could only bright forth rain, as the heavens opened upon the wind goddess.  
  
"I'll tell you story, if you swear you'll never breathe a word of it. I'm trusting you to keep all this information inside of you. Let it manifest within you. Then let it devour you whole, so that you'll never speak this truth again." The princess of the moon stared directly into the eyes of the senshi of Mars.  
  
"Why now you feel it fitting to talk to me?" Rei held her door open to gaze pitifully at a soaked Usagi.  
  
Usagi wrapped her arms around herself and frowned. "I trust you the most with this."  
  
Rei draped a towel around Usagi's shoulders and stepped aside so that Usagi could enter.  
  
A bit dryer and a bit warmer, Usagi sat in front of the fire pit with Rei. The two girls gazed upon each other as if they had no idea who each other were at all. Rei was hesitant to become close to Usagi, realizing that he friend was a different person, now. The dark-haired girl went to reach forward to place a hand on Usagi's shoulders when the girl looked up at her with big, tear-filled eyes.  
"REIIIIIIII-CHAAAANNNN!!!" Usagi buried her head in Rei's chest and sobbed.  
  
The priestess sweatdropped, and thought to herself *Ok... maybe she hasn't grown up all that much...* Feeling a bit more confident, she held Usagi up and shook her a bit. "What's the matter?"  
  
Usagi began to tell Rei the long and arduous story of her and Haruka's secret love affair. Rei's jaw hit the floor as she tried her hardest to not faint. Usagi blushed in the warm light of the fire and walked her fingers along her lap as she divulged way too much information. Rei's face, bright red and filled with shock, only grew redder as the girl continued to explain how Haruka's hands were incredibly powerful. Finding the strength to pick her hand up, she clamped it over Usagi's mouth and looked to the heavens. "I think I get it..."  
  
"Will you tell anyone?" Usagi lowered Rei's hand and gazed in worry.  
  
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO WHOMEVER!!!!" Rei became over excited.  
  
"Promise you'll keep it a secret until I figure out this madness?" Usagi gripped Rei's hands.  
  
Rei sighed long and slow. "I will not say a single word, but that doesn't mean that you should keep this secret for long. Your other friends worry about you. If you want to keep them, you'd better tell them the truth - but spare the details. No one needs to know what you and Haruka do with fruit..." Rei shuddered.  
  
Usagi blushed and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, I just really got into telling you all."  
  
Rei smiled softly, "I know, baka. You should stay here for the night. The rain is pretty heavy. Call your mom from the phone in the waiting room."  
  
Usagi stood up slowly. "Thank you, Rei." She gazed at her best friend who smiled and nodded her head.  
  
"Rei-chan?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"... For everything. Thank you for everything." Usagi pressed her hand to her heart and gave the girl a sincere look.  
  
"That's what friends are for."  
  
End of Ch. 5 


	6. Why Heaven Cries

Chapter 6  
  
**What is rainfall? Does it signify something that us mere mortals do not understand? It comes too easily and leaves that much easier. Heaven scorns those that defy it. She releases, upon us, her tears for us to witness. Does she cry for me, tonight? Have I defied her, my lady Heaven. A pane of glass separates me from her wrath. It's not heaven I'm afraid of, it's her tears. The only time sea and sky unite, is to bring forth vision of heaven's pain. Cry no longer, my lady. If sea and sky were not in unison, you'd have no tears to cry. Perhaps, the world should not make you cry. I am but a human, cast down on earth and left to gaze up at your never-ending majesty. If I reach high enough, I'll touch you one day. My lady heaven, have patience with me, for your water weighs me down.**  
  
A light rapping at the doorframe made Haruka stop scribbling in her journal. She snapped the book shut and turned to gaze at the intruder. "Michiru."  
  
Soaked, the girl entered the room as if nothing had happened to her. "You shouldn't write with the lights off. It's bad for your eyes."  
  
Haruka wanted to argue, but instead she only tapped her pencil against the window and brought attention to the moon that was almost completely covered up by clouds. "I have light."  
  
The two stood, staring at each other for a brief moment. The moment seemed longer, but the silence was broken by crashing thunder in the background. "I should dry off."  
  
"You should've called if you wanted me to pick you up." Haruka almost cut Michiru's comment in half.  
  
Michiru's eyes unconsciously narrowed as she reached for a towel. "I like rain."  
  
The sky senshi clutched her journal as tight as she could, biting back a lot of harsh words and feelings. "Very well. I'm sorry." Without saying more, she reached for her jacket and held it over her shoulder with one hand.   
  
Michiru stopped drying her hair to look at Haruka. "Where are you going this time of night?"  
  
Gazing at the clock, Haruka grimaced. She dropped the jacket where she stood and left the room. "To the kitchen."  
  
Michiru sat on the windowsill and leaned her head back against the window. The tapping of rain against a pane always gave her such peace. She valued the heavens "tears" as Haruka called them. To Michiru, they weren't painful, they were a blessing for being alive. She loved the way rain fell and played rhythmic patterns on the roof. Clutching her skirt between her hands, she leaned forward and exhaled slowly. Her body, weighed with sorrow for her distant lover. A wall was the only thing between them, but Michiru felt like Haruka was worlds away.   
  
Haruka leaned over the kitchen table with a butterknife in her hand. In front of her, she'd set up to make a sandwich, but then realized she wasn't hungry at all. She gazed at parts of her face in the butterknife, a bit remorseful that she even came into the kitchen. She wished she went into another room. From behind, she felt a pair of petite, gentle hands wrap around her waist. Damp hair soaked through her shirt as someone pressed their head into her back. Haruka's whole body tensed when Michiru exhaled against her.  
  
"What's wrong with us?" Michiru's hands were shaking.  
  
Haruka stood up straight and turned to face Michiru. She hesitated looking into the girl's deep eyes, glistening with tears and begging to be adored. Turning away, Haruka bit down on her bottom lip and slowly released, allowing a sigh to escape as well. "I don't know."  
  
"Will we continue to go down this path?" Neptune's senshi almost whispered.   
  
Without really thinking about it, Haruka stuck her hand in the pocket of her trousers and placed something into Michiru's hand. "You make the choice..." she slowly kissed Michiru's forehead and left the kitchen.  
  
**Why does she keep running away from me?** Michiru grew frustrated in her thoughts. Her hand shook as she began to realize just what it was she was holding. Without never glancing down, she felt the smooth metal leading to the a rose-shaped clip. The girl closed her eyes tight before slowly gazing down at Seiya's earpiece microphone. "No..." Michiru's voice was barely a whisper as she forced air from her lungs.   
  
She threw the earpiece into a corner of the kitchen. The sound of it hitting the floor felt like her heart hitting the bottom of her stomach. "I don't want to continue this..." another forced whisper came from her throat, hardly making any sound this time. "Haruka!" Michiru ran to the doorway of the kitchen. "HARUKA I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH ANYMORE!!!"   
  
All Michiru heard was the door close shut leading from the apartment. She stood there, aware that Haruka hadn't heard her. Slowly closing her eyes, she heard Haruka's car start. She heard the girl pull out of the driveway. Burying her hands into her face she sobbed, pitying herself, hating herself. Unaware that Haruka was just as guilty as her. All she could do was hate herself in the moment.   
  
Without really thinking of it, Haruka sped right by Usagi's house and further down a ways until she stopped at an apartment complex. Fortunate for her, someone was coming out as she was going in. A polite bow was exchanged and Haruka caught the door before it closed. Knowing exactly where to go, the senshi stopped in front of a particular door and nearly knocked it off it's hinges as she proceeded to bang the door down.  
  
The door slowly opened and Mamoru squinted into the bright light of the hallway. "Haruka-san... what time is it?"  
  
Well it's no way to answer a question, but all Haruka to do to respond was right hook Mamoru across the face. "Bastard..."  
  
The tall man fell back, holding his jaw and glaring at Haruka. "Have you lost your mind?!"  
  
Haruka stepped into the apartment, not acknowledging Mamoru. Flipping on the lights she turned to the bedroom but never entered it. "Setsuna, don't you think it's time to go home? Study sessions shouldn't go this late into the night. It's bad for a lady to walk home so late. Or... were you intending to stay?" Haruka casually pushed the door opened and eyed Setsuna who stared at Haruka as if she hadn't done anything remotely surprising.  
  
Mamoru's temper flared, but he only turned to yell. "What do you want?!"  
  
The senshi of Uranus never took her death glare off of Setsuna. "I want to know how you can hurt Usagi with no remorse."  
  
"I should ask the same of you and Michiru..." Setsuna stood to her feet.  
  
Haruka's tensed shoulders eased and then slumped, but she wasn't giving up the fight. "I intend to do something about that, you don't worry about it."  
  
"Was part of that plan to come here and break my door?" Mamoru tried to control his voice for it was very late at night.  
  
Haruka punched Mamoru, this time connecting her fist with his nose and watched as the man fell back to hold his now broken nose. She never said anything more, but stepped over the dark-haired man and left the apartment complex.  
  
The yellow race car sped in the other direction past Usagi's house once more. Well after midnight, Usagi should've been fast asleep in bed. Instead she sat in front of a candle Rei had left lit after she went to bed. Usagi fixed her eyes on the dancing flame, hoping to find some sort of clarity in the jumbled mess of her situation. All she did, though, was give herself a headache. With the rain letting up a bit, she decided to walk around the grounds of the temple a bit. It was late and no one would intrude on her thoughts. She walked until she was standing under the Torii of the temple. Glancing out, she saw that a car had slowed to a stop in front of the temple.   
  
Usagi squinted, though she didn't really need to. Haruka's distinctive sports car stood out against all of the other cars in the area. She never took shock to see Haruka out so late at night, as the taller girl's expression remained as plain as it usually did, she removed her hand from the shift and cradled it.  
  
There was the sound of something being dislodged, Haruka never took her eyes off the steering wheel as Usagi let the door close behind her and she slid comfortably into the passenger seat. "What's wrong with your hand?"  
  
"May I ask a question?" Was all Haruka responded with.  
  
Usagi took the girl's hand and wrapped it with a handkerchief she'd had in the pocket of her robe. "Sure."  
  
"If you knew that Mamoru was hurting you, why didn't you leave him?" Haruka's question came as a shock to hear and a lot of trouble to say.  
  
Usagi let Haruka's hand fall into her lap and she gazed down at it with fear. A fear that couldn't be described. She never thought about the answer to the question, because she never thought to ask. "Because I love him."  
  
Haruka's now dark-green eyes dropped to her own lap. "Love binds us all..."  
  
"You make it sound like we're prisoners of it. Isn't love supposed to be wonderful? It's supposed to be the good part of life. Haruka, why do you make it sound like love is a bad thing?" Usagi turned to try and gaze into Haruka's eyes. "Why are you saying it like that?"  
  
In the hardest struggle of her life, Haruka laughed softly to keep her tears from falling. Her bangs fell around her eyes and she leaned into the shadows. She clenched her trembling fists and pressed them, hard into her lap. Her right hand throbbed with pain, but all she could do was fight back her tears to the best of her abilities. "Does love bind Setsuna to Mamoru?"  
  
Usagi caught Haruka's face in her hands and turned it to face hers. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Just what I ask. Does love bind Setsuna to Mamoru?" The wind goddess was starting to lose her resolve.  
  
Usagi's back slammed against the car door with a thud as she pressed her hand to her heart. For the life of her, she never thought Mamoru to be as guilty as she, as she felt a world of troubles fall onto her shoulders, but a ton more lift from them. She wanted to cry, but she gazed back into Haruka's eyes. The girl's long, thin and shaking form was as pitiful as a wet child's. Without thinking much of the startling news she'd just taken in, she drew Haruka into her arms, and pressed the girl's head into her neck. "Please cry. Don't hold it inside. Tears are like poison in your body. Holding them in will kill you inside."  
  
"It's why heaven cries..." Haruka wept in the smaller girl's arms. "To keep from dying."  
  
End of Ch.6 


	7. The Tangled Web We've Woven

The rain settling, Haruka calmed down a bit. Her heart stopped racing, and she almost felt a pang of shame for dragging Usagi into her most intimate of problems. Without raising her head, she peeked out of the corner reddened eyes to glance at Usagi who was fumbling with her night clothes. The girl thought it best to sit in silence and offer a shoulder to cry.   
  
It was in that moment that Haruka realized something. Usagi was still a child. She may save the world, she may bring hope, she may be the embodiment of justice, but she was still a child who still had a great deal of life to experience in her own ways. These ways, ways that would shape her mentality and actions as an adult. They would show themselves in 30th century Neo-tokyo. Would Haruka's previous actions towards the girl gravely affect the outcome of their future home? Now the girl felt as if she was in more of a dilemma than she'd have liked to be. She was a fighter, though. She wouldn't abandon the ones she loved.  
  
The ones she loved...  
  
Michiru couldn't find the energy to move in any direction, her weight gave way and she collapsed onto the kitchen floor in a pitiful heap of remorse. She sobbed, uncontrollably, as if the world has ended before her. She was terrified, that it would end eventually. Her whole world was Haruka. Perhaps it was a lesson well learned.  
  
"It's been fun, ne? Usagi?" Haruka picked her head up slowly to gaze at the girl.  
  
"What has?" The younger girl locked eyes with Haruka.  
  
"All of this. You and me being together like this. It's fun, right?"   
  
It was a simple yes or no question, but Usagi was baffled by the context of the question. She almost felt as if she had to answer carefully or she'd make a devastating mistake. She decided to act on a whim and ask herself the question in her head, vowing to answer it as soon as she asked it. Was their time together fun?  
  
"Yes! Yes it was!" Her eyes brimmed with tears. Usagi signed slowly and looked at Haruka. "Yes, Haruka, it was it IS fun being with you."  
  
She didn't want to beat around the bush with her response. It wasn't Haruka's style. She didn't want to say something to offend, but she often did. Haruka turned in her seat and took Usagi's hands. She pressed the girl's cold hands to her warm, beating heart and gazed into Usagi's eyes. Haruka did her best to warm Usagi's hands against her own chest. She thought about how it made her feel. It felt like a maternal thing to do. She felt like she was trying to give warmth to a young child that depended on her for warmth and affection. "Have I made a mistake?"  
  
"Don't speak like that, Haruka."  
"Have I tried to be more to you than I should be?" Haruka's hands tightened their grip on Usagi's just a bit to spread more warmth. The girl's cold hands were starting to send chills down Haruka's skin. "Have I done to you what I shouldn't have?"  
  
Usagi was starting to grow angry by Haruka's strange questions. "Stop talking like that! You make it seem like you've committed some hideous crime! If loving someone is a crime, then the whole world is guilty! Stop asking me such weird questions. What's wrong with you?" The girl didn't move her hands, but she pushed Haruka back into the door of the car. Her back pressed against the window, and all she could do was stare at how furious Usagi had become.  
  
The girl's head dropped again, unable to react to the situation she was in. She felt like she had done wrong, but the girl in front of her felt otherwise.  
  
"Then..." Haruka smiled softly, "Then we must tell everyone what we've done. And if loving each other is a crime we've all committed one time or another, we'll all come clean. There's a chance for redemption in this awful web of deceit we've all spun. And... and if we all be honest with one another, we'll all be fine."  
  
Usagi's expression changed drastically. She went from scowling to a look of absolute shock. She never thought to confess her entire love affair to everyone. Then again, she didn't think it was such a bad idea. Haruka looked dazed and lost. Her smile seemed forced. "Come to my room. Just one more time. Please."  
  
The senshi of Uranus' lips parted slowly. She wanted to object, but Usagi wouldn't let up. Leaving the car, Usagi and Haruka slipped into the younger girl's room unnoticed. There they sat in the darkness listening to each other's breathing patterns. Usagi didn't' intend for this to be another one of their rampant love affairs that ended up in them entwined in each other, panting for breaths. Instead, the girl stood as far away from Haruka as she could in the darkness and took a deep breath.  
  
"In this darkness, Haruka, what do you see?" Usagi had found it convenient to lean against her door.  
  
"I can't see anything." The girl strained her eyes to make out the boldest of darkened outlines. All she could see was the murky darkness before her.  
  
"Then you are not looking hard enough."  
  
Haruka blinked, and concentrated. "I see outlines. A shallow emptiness. Definite vessels with no souls. Lifeless bodies, unidentifiable bodies. I see a huge, empty expanse, and I see myself being engulfed in it.  
  
By the time Haruka finished exploring a deeper meaning of this darkened room, Usagi kneeled before the girl and pressed her own hands to Haruka's beating heart once more. "That is the definition of your soul. The soul of a troubled person. Someone missing something, someone seeking to replace that something with all the wrong things. This is your life, Haruka. A life you must fix. We'll always be together." Usagi drew one of her hands from the girl's heaving chest and brushed away Haruka's tears with the back of her hand. "No matter where we stand and who we stand with, we'll always be together."  
  
"Promise me. Take those words more seriously than your life." Haruka pressed her face into the smaller girl's hand.  
  
"I swear on my life. We'll always be together." Usagi smiled softly and turned on the lights. "Let tomorrow clear all of these differences you and I and the rest of us have between each other. We need to be sturdy mentally to remain an unbeatable team."  
  
The taller girl nodded slowly and stood to leave. "Thank you."  
  
"That's what friends are for." Usagi could feel Rei's words impact her own soul.  
  
The two parted ways until they would meet again, the next day.  
  
End of Ch. 7. 


	8. It's Gravitation

What's tension if it's not thick enough to cut with a knife? It's not tension. Then it's just living. Life isn't always easy, so why would it be tension if one has reached a hard part of living? This was tension, though. Everyone could feel it. Haruka's mind wandered worlds away with so many worries as Michiru's tear-soaked, piercing gaze only bore into Haruka's soul like a diamond-bit drill on a mission. The two women said nothing more than "There's a group meeting." and "Ok.". So now what's there to do? The only thing to do is relieve the tension.  
  
But this was no group meeting, as many of the senshi were missing. Setsuna cleared her throat and rest her cup of tea on it's delicate plate. Glancing around at the only attendees, she knew this wasn't any old run-of-the-mill update. Mamoru had made it priority number one to sit as far away from Setsuna as possible. In fact, he sat on one side of Haruka, Setsuna on the other side of the girl. Michiru sat across, and Usagi couldn't find enough ease in her soul to sit still at all. She only paced, nibbling her thumb nail to the bleeding flesh, and then continuing.   
  
They weren't going to start. Not until there was just one more attendee. Kou Seiya slipped in gracefully and stared around the room. He wanted to announce his divine attendance, but he only quietly took a seat when the grief-stricken, worried faces of his company greeted him with no more than a melancholy nod. Haruka's eyes narrowed as if she were trying to stare so deeply into Seiya that she would look right through him. When Seiya sat diagonally away from her, she turned her head to hide her seething contempt for her arch-nemesis.  
  
Without thinking about it, Usagi slammed her hands on the table, bringing everyone to attention. A few of them even jumped, then quickly regaining their composures, they turned to glance worriedly at her. "This won't work! This is not how we'll face the future!"  
  
Michiru's head lowered as she slid the ear-piece microphone over to Seiya. "This is not the road I want to take any more." She pulled her hand back before Seiya's could brush hers to take the piece from the table. Glancing down at it, Seiya finally understood why he was here. Now that he knew, he wanted more than anything to leave with the utmost haste. He was frozen, though, against his will, as Usagi's glare stilled even the blowing wind.   
  
"Mamoru and Setsuna, Michiru and Seiya, Haruka and me... we need to come clean."  
  
Michiru head turned in Usagi's direction with intense speed. She didn't dare wheel her head the other way, but she caught Haruka's dropping glance out the corner of her deep-sea colored eyes. This was new news to her, new news she should've been more outraged to hear, but she was no more innocent in this affair than any one else in the room.  
  
"We need to come clean... please!" Usagi's resolve was giving way, as her body shook with anger and fear. She was just a little girl, taking on the responsibilities of all these adults before her. For the first time, she didn't feel like she was in the room with a bunch of people she knew, she felt like she was surrounded by a pack of wolves, ready to pounce for the kill. Terrified of what would come out during said "cleansing", she shrank back to sit in a chair. She could only turn to one person to ask for truth.  
  
"Setsuna?" Usagi's voice cracked slightly. Feeling tremendously weaker than when she first began, she almost didn't want to hear what the woman would say.  
  
"What is there to say? No, what can be said, that exhibits remorse, that clarifies situations, and that cleanses souls? What words do I speak to atone for my sins? There is no god before me, but I am here before judgment. Judgment of my peers, of my family, of myself. I know now that nothing can be said, and only speaking further will make situations worse off than they began. It's true, I gave myself to Mamoru in a way that I, the guardian of time, should not have. Despite all that I am to be, I am only human. And as guilty as you or I or he or she is in this room, forgiveness starts with ourselves, then one another. Do we all have peace of mind in here?"  
  
Haruka leaned forward. "Don't say such stupid things, Setsuna. No one in here is peaceful in any sorts. As you have been with Mamoru, I with Usagi and Seiya with Michiru. We can't forgive ourselves for something we've done wrong!"  
  
"But we have wronged ourselves first, Haruka. Once we deceived ourselves to believe that our actions were true, and what worse, justifiable, we have truly wronged ourselves. And to forgive ourselves first is to start from basic point A to reach and attain basic point B. So let us all forgive ourselves, before we can be true to anyone else in this room." Michiru never lifted her head to address her speaker properly.  
  
Haruka's shoulders slumped in a defeated position. As far as she was concerned, loving someone was not a sin on any level. Perhaps, the wrong kind of love was a sin, though.  
  
Who sets the boundaries on how many you must love at once?  
  
"I love Usagi." Haruka sat up. "I can't say I'm sorry for MAKING love to her." The girl sighed long as Usagi watched her slowly. "I forgive myself, for letting my emotions get out of control. I'm sorry to myself that I have made such a mess of our unity. I'm forgiving myself for being destructive to you, Michiru, and you, Usagi, but I'm sorry, I can't forgive myself for loving Usagi if I don't feel that it's wrong."  
  
"Then there is no crime in your loving Usagi." Mamoru spoke slowly. "I forgive myself for deceiving myself, and allowing myself to be carried away by the temptations inside of me. I am a man as all men are. We are no more innocent than women. We are no more perfect than the rest of humanity. I forgive myself for being human."  
  
"This is stupid! Saying we're sorry to ourselves for indulging? What's the point?" Seiya leaned forward, making his voice travel evenly throughout the room.  
  
"It's not stupid, Seiya. Michiru's right, we've all wronged ourselves first. Only then could we have taken our situations so far. There had to be something in us that motivated us to move farther and deeper into all this deception. There's no way you could think that Michiru is my lover, and yet you think it's more than fine to continue being with her after thinking that." Haruka was ready to choke the life from Seiya.  
  
Seiya grew quiet for a moment before speaking up. "I am forgiving myself for bringing pain and destruction to Haruka and Michiru, as well the unity of the senshi and starlights. As one, I have also taken part in dividing us. For that, I forgive myself." He spoke softly, ashamed of being wrong.  
  
"I'm forgiving myself for being a poor leader, and not speaking up sooner. I'm forgiving myself for the constant deception I've continued to feed myself. I'm forgiving myself for hurting others as well as hurting myself. I'm forgiven for all of humanities impurities." Usagi's eyes watered with tears of remorse for herself as well as others. "I'm forgiven for all that is wrong in this room."  
  
The room grew even more quiet than it was before. Everyone seemed to synchronize breathing to keep from making any more sounds than needed. Usagi's words hit hard, and everyone realized that the girl blamed herself for more than she needed to. Mamoru rested his hand on her head like he did to console her at times. "Don't be a martyr, Usagi. We're all in the wrong and responsible for what we did. You couldn't prevent our actions."  
  
"I forgive myself for my deceit and my lies. I am forgiven for destruction as well as living. I forgive myself for all of the wrongs that I've done to myself and to others." Michiru's voice trailed off as she finally raised her eyes to gaze at Haruka for the first time in days. "I forgive myself, for what I've done to you... Haruka."  
  
In silence once more, the room hung before Setsuna spoke to only make things sound much more logical. "And in our vain attempts to seek remorse from ourselves for ourselves, we must now seek atonement for those that we have pained directly. For we cannot seek retribution for all we have wronged in general. We would spend all eternity paying for our sins to all of humanity." On that note, she turned to Usagi with the most remorse in the world. "Usagi, I've taken from you, something I should've never dare touch. For that, I can only seek your forgiveness as I have forgiven myself for my ill-behaviour. As a team - as a whole, we must unite always to be our strongest. I swear here and now that I will never destroy the unity of this affiliation again. Mamoru, I am truly sorry to you as well."  
  
Usagi took Setsuna's hand in hers. "Let's all look upon this situation as a mistake in our lives, that can be easily corrected with a promise to always be unified. Let's not lie anymore about the actions we have committed."  
  
"I'm sorry, you guys..." Seiya scratched the back of his head. "About everything, really. I never knew it could ever get this of hand."  
  
Haruka's expression lightened as she reached out and took Michiru's hand. "Forgive me?"  
  
Michiru could only smile softly as she yearned for the touch of her lover's lips against the back of her hand once more. "Of course. Do you forgive me?"  
  
"I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't" Haruka grinned, twisting Setsuna's words into a light joke that could ease the tension to make it - life once more.  
  
Usagi and Setsuna smiled softly at one another before the young girl turned to glance at Mamoru with huge, tear-filled eyes. "Do you..."  
  
"As you forgive me..." Mamoru cut her off.  
  
The girl fell into his arms for the first time in weeks, "You don't even have to ask. Never have to ask me again, promise me."  
  
Mamoru held the girl close. "I promise.  
  
Now the room once quiet and heavy, was light and filled with the sounds of sniffling and light laughs. Haruka glanced at Usagi and Usagi at Haruka before they all thought it best to break up and meet back that evening with the rest of the senshi. There was no need to shake up the balance the naive senshi had, so everyone thought it best to treat the matter as if it never happened. - only to vanish into the depths of their forsaken memories.  
  
30th century Neo-Tokyo flourished with a great and powerful queen and an faithful king beside her. In all the events of the past, the castle remained a place of honesty and unity. The castle lay quiet as one particular queen found herself pressed with her back against the door of a particular room in the castle. Strong hands found their way through her winding locks until they were freed, her tiara falling to the floor; as far from grace as an angel shot from heaven by cannon. Usagi stared hopelessly into Haruka's eyes as they slowly closed to submit to sensations remembered from long ago.  
  
Usagi's body, now more developed, pressed itself against Haruka's muscular form as the two began to entwine themselves in one another. As both of their breathing patterns became ragged, Haruka pulled away. Usagi pouted in annoyance and glared at the girl.  
  
"Are you sure?" Haruka's low voice was caught up in a gasp of ecstasy as Usagi ignored the taller girl's pause and decided to take the lead.  
  
"This is the combined destiny of you and I. Anyone who says we are bound by one destiny doesn't know that he, himself, has just created another destiny to embrace. You and I together is only how it is meant to be in this time and the next. Mamoru knows that, and so does Michiru. I don't want to compare this unison between us to the affairs of the past. This new bond that you and I have created has been consummated under the grace of my mother, the first Queen Selenity and our fellow senshi. How many times am I going to refresh your memory?" Usagi made sure to cover everything in one sweeping statement, meant to silence the wind senshi and get her onto the bed immediately.  
  
As it was written in chronicles unread by those outside of the palace, Usagi and Haruka were bound by sky and lunar manifestation. As two existing entities, they thrived off one another, providing shelter and life for one another. The moon in the sky and the sky cradling the moon, one will never be separated from the other. Their attraction, Usagi to Haruka, Haruka to Usagi, was only the natural gravitational pull of reality towards human entity. Embodiment of lunar element and astral element will undoubtedly be thrust together regardless of any acting elements between them. With all understood in the philosophy man, himself, hath devised, Usagi and Haruka must be united.  
  
(And Mamoru's just for show! ^.~)  
  
END!  
  
A/N: Man that was hard to write! My leg fell asleep! I think I had a stroke! Never liked Mamoru for Usagi. So there you go! Put the cutest couple together!  
  
PS: I really really really really really really really really hate Michiru *-*  
  
I do NOT own Sailormoon or any of it's characters, names or locations. Sailormoon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, DIC, Cloverweigh and it's affiliated counterparts. Thanks for reading, though! 


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